Loading rack

ABSTRACT

A loading rack with an oblong table body and a pair of legs attached closably to posterior and anterior side parts of the body. The loading rack further has a plurality of leg holders which are attached having a predetermined lateral distance to the posterior and anterior side of the table body and a supporting hole which opens downwardly on each leg holder. Multiple insertion parts can be inserted into each hole attached to an upper part of each leg. The leg is held and fixed in a vertically standing position by peripheral walls surrounding the supporting hole as the insertion part is inserted into the supporting hole and the table body is loaded on the leg.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of loading racks, which divide out the loading space of containers, box-shaped rear bodies of trucks, and the like vertically (upwardly and downwardly) so that the loading space is used efficiently.

2. Prior Art

As this kind of conventional loading racks, for example, racks written in following Patent Application Gazettes are known:

Japanese published unexamined application 2005-153815; and

Japanese published unexamined application 2005-041299.

Both of them have two legs, which are half as high as the box-shaped rear body of trucks and are fixed foldably to posterior and anterior side parts of an oblong table body, which vertically divides (partitions) inner space of the rear box. Each of the legs has two poles, a horizontal frame of at the lower end, strengthening frames at vertical two places. A hinge of the leg is structured in a manner wherein a tabular key member whose end face is elliptical is fixed at an upper end of a longitudinal frame, a circular loosely engaging hole whose diameter is approximately the same as the length of the key member in a longitudinal direction and a rectangular engaging hole whose size is approximately the same as the end face of the key member are opened on a leg holder, the key member is engagingly inserted in the engaging hole so that the longitudinal frame is fixed to the holder in the standing position, and a table body is supported at a certain pallet height by the longitudinal frame. The table body is uplifted by a forklift so that the key member is moved to the loosely engaging hole and the longitudinal frame is revolved around the key member so that it is turned over.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to strengthen up the strength of the hinge of the loading rack, to ease the operation of the opening and closing of the leg, and to decrease the cost for manufacturing.

To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention employed following technical means.

The present invention is a loading rack wherein a leg is attached closably to posterior-and-anterior-side part of an oblong table body having a plurality of leg holders which are attached having a predetermine lateral distance to the posterior-and-anterior-side of the table body, a supporting hole which opens downwardly opened on each leg holder, and multiple insertion parts which are capable to be inserted into each hole attached to an upper part of each leg, wherein the leg is held and fixed in a vertically standing position by peripheral walls surrounding the supporting hole as the insertion part is inserted into the supporting hole and the table body is loaded on the leg. With the present invention, despite of a simple structure, the leg is held in a standing position against the big moment by ensuring the enough length of the supporting hole in the vertical direction. Also, almost all weight of the table body itself and the luggage loaded on the table body weighs on a part of the leg except the insertion part. Consequently, it is possible to enhance the stability of it when the truck is driven.

In the loading rack in said present invention, a long hole which extends vertically may be opened on a side wall of the peripheral walls, a latching pin which engages the long hole may be attached on an upper end part of the insertion part of the leg, and an opening which allows the leg to be closed inwardly when the leg is moved along the supporting hole till the latching pin is located to a lower end of the long hole may be opened at a lower end part of a inside wall of the peripheral walls. With this, the leg can be opened and closed as it is attached by the pin to the table body in a manner wherein the leg does not come free from the table body.

Also, the present invention may have a column-shaped guiding part located on an upper end of the insertion part, wherein a shape of cross section of the insertion part is almost the same as the shape of cross section of the supporting hole. With this, it is possible to decrease the frictional resistance during opening and closing the leg by the column-shaped guiding part so that it is possible to conduct opening and closing smoothly.

Moreover, each leg may have square pipe shaped poles which are lined up in a right-and-left row and a horizontal frame which connects poles next to each other at the vertically midway position of the poles, and each upper end of pole is the insertion part which is located at the upper part of each leg and the table body is loaded on the horizontal frame. By this, load of the table body is supported by a position lower than the insertion part, which constitutes a hinge, so that the load of the table body does not weigh on the hinge directly, and consequently, it is possible to achieve the more stable state.

Also, the present invention may further have a pin which projects upwardly at a middle of a right-and-left direction of each leg; and a fitting hole opened on the table body, in which the pin is inserted when the leg is in a standing position. With that, rattling of the leg in a standing position is decreased by reducing a fitting error between the pin and the fitting hole so that it is possible to achieve the more stable state.

The loading rack of said present invention may further have a claw bearing member attached to a right-and-left-side of an undersurface of the table body in which a fork of a forklift truck is inserted, wherein the claw bearing member is attached to a position in which the rack is be able to have a well-balance when the fork is inserted in the claw bearing member. With this, by any possibility, even if the gravity point of the loading rack and the baggage on it is put to a front of the fork when the fork is inserted into the claw bearing member and the loading rack is lifted, it is possible to prevent them from falling down in front since the rack is supported by two points, which are an front end of the fork which extends in front from the claw bearing part and the claw bearing part. Also, it is possible to load and unload the loading rack with baggage on it by the fork at the predetermined position and in a stable state wherein the front and back are not shaken since the claw bearing member is attached to a position in which the rack is be able to have a well-balance when the fork is inserted into the claw bearing member. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the baggage on the loading rack from losing a balance and slipping down during loading and unloading.

It is preferable to make it possible to choose a state of the claw member from two states of which one is a standing state wherein the claw bearing member is at right angle to the table body and the other state is a closed state wherein the claw bearing member is parallel to the table body. With this, by folding the claw bearing member when the leg is in the standing position to put baggage both above and below the table body, it is possible to prevent the space for storing baggage under the table from being reduced caused by the claw bearing member which is in a standing state and the baggage from getting broken by attaching to the claw bearing member.

In this case, it is preferable to have an engaging member, which fixes the state, as the claw bearing member is in a closed state wherein it is parallel to the table body. With this, it is possible to keep the closing state without fail and prevent the claw bearing member from hanging downwardly by itself caused by vibration occurred by the movement of the vehicle.

Moreover, it is preferable to have a holding assembly, which temporarily holds the standing state of the claw bearing member wherein the claw bearing member is at right angle to the table body. With this, it is possible to eliminate the shakiness such as wobbling of the claw bearing member when it is in the standing state, so that the fork is inserted to the claw bearing member easily.

With the present invention, despite of a simple structure, it is possible to achieve an enhancement of the strength of the hinge part of the loading rack and facilitation of the opening and closing the leg.

the leg is held in a standing state against the big moment by ensuring the enough length of the supporting hole in the vertical direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Elevation view of a loading rack of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 Plain view of front-back-side of the loading rack;

FIG. 3 Cross sectional side view of front-back-side of said loading rack;

FIG. 4 Cross sectional side view of a leg;

FIG. 5 Whole plain view of the loading rack;

FIG. 6 Whole plain side view of the loading rack with its leg folded;

FIG. 7 Whole side view of the loading rack during folding its leg.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the attached drawings, the present invention will hereinafter be described by way of an embodiment thereof. However, a structure of a hinge part, which is a feature of this invention, is especially explained in particular because basic composition and advantage as a loading rack is the same as said prior arts.

FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a loading rack of the present invention. The loading rack has a table body 1, which has an oblong shape in a plain view and is formed in a manner wherein a square-pipe-shaped frame are frame worked in a lattice pattern, and a pair of legs 2, which is attached to posterior-and-anterior-side of the table body 1 foldably. The leg 2 is standable (being able to be set up) or foldable in a state wherein the bottom surface of the table body 1 is raised by the fork of the forklift car. The state wherein the leg 2 is set up is referred as a “standing position” in the embodiment.

The table body 1 partitions off the loading space of box-shaped rear bodies of trucks (including bulk containers) into upward and downward, so that it enables to separately load pallets, on which baggage is loaded, on upward and downward of the table body 1. The leg 2, which is half as high as the box-shaped rear body of trucks, is fixed foldably to each posterior-and-anterior-side of the oblong table body 1.

A frame 3 at posterior-and-anterior ends of the table body 1 is made of a square shaped pipe whose entire length is the same as the length of horizontal direction side of the table body 1. A mounting hole 4 which vertically goes through is opened on the certain position in a right-and-left direction of the frame 3. A square pipe shaped leg holder 5 is weld-fixed to each mounting hole 4. Each leg holder 5 projects downwardly lower than the bottom surface of the table body 1. A space inside the holder 5 is a supporting hole 6, which opens downwardly.

Each leg 2 has a leg base 7 which extends an entire right-and-left length of the loading rack, square pipe shaped poles 8 which are lined up in a right-and-left row, and a horizontal frame 9 which connects poles 8 next to each other at the vertically midway position of the poles 8. In this embodiment, the horizontal frame 9 is located at two vertical positions.

The leg holder 5 is located at a certain position of the leg 2, wherein the pole 8 is inserted. Each raised (set up) pole 8 is capable to be inserted from below into the supporting hole 6 of the leg holder 5, which corresponds to the pole 8. In other words, each upper end of pole 8 is an insertion part 10, which is located at an upper part of each leg and capable to be inserted into the supporting hole 6. As this insertion part 10 which projects upper than the horizontal frame is inserted into the supporting hole 6, the leg 2 is held and fixed with vertically standing by peripheral walls of the hole 6.

Also, an onboarding frame 11 is weld-fixed between the poles 8 next to each other on a bottom surface of right-and-left-sides of the table body 1. As insertion part 10 of the standing leg 2 is inserted into the supporting hole 6, the onboarding frame 11 is loaded on the horizontal frame 9 so that the table body 1 is loaded on the leg 2.

A long hole 12, which extends vertically, is opened on the right-and-left-wall of the leg holder 5. A latching pin 13, which engages the long hole 12, is fixed on an upper end part of the insertion part 10 of the leg. The insertion part 10 is inserted into and pulled out from the supporting hole 6 guided by the pin 13 and the long hole 12.

Moreover, an opening 14, which allows the leg 2 to be folded inside in the posterior-and-anterior direction as the leg 2 is moved along the supporting hole 6 till the latching pin 13 is located to a lower end of the long hole 12, is opened at a lower end part of a wall part inside in the posterior-and-anterior direction of the leg holder 5. In other wards, the shape of cross section of the leg holder 5 has three walls and one opening which opens inside in the right-and-left direction.

The shape of cross section of the insertion part 10 is oblong, which is almost the same as the shape of cross section of the supporting hole 6. A column-shaped guiding part 15 is located on the upper end of the insertion part 10 so that friction resistance caused by opening and closing motion of the leg 2 is decreased. A diameter of the guiding part 15 is slightly smaller than the posterior-and-anterior width of the supporting hole 16. A shaft length of the guiding part 15 is slightly shorter than the right-and-left width of the supporting hole 6. The guiding part 15 is concentric with the latching pin 13.

To enhance stability of the leg 2 while it is standing, the upper horizontal frame 9 has a fixing pin 16 which projects upwardly at the middle of the right-and-left direction of each leg 2, and a fitting hole 17, in which the fixing pin 16 is inserted when the leg 2 is standing, is opened on the onboarding frame 11 of the middle of the table body 1.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7, engaging parts 21 and 22, which latch an adjunctive rope 20, which suspends the leg 2 slightly folded inside, are located on the table body 1 and the leg 2 respectively. To hold the leg 2, the table body 1 is lifted up by using the forklift truck and the like, the leg 2 slightly folded is suspended by the adjunctive rope 20, the table body 1 is lifted down onto the load carrying rack of the truck, and a lower end part of the leg 2 is pushed up by the load carrying rack, so that the leg 2 is easily folded. Additionally, the rope 20 might be pulled out from a reel attached to the leg or the table body.

A claw bearing member 30, in which the fork of the forklift truck is inserted, is located on a lower surface of the table body 1. The pair of claw bearing members 30 is located on the lower surface of both posterior-and-anterior-ends-brim-part of the table body 1. The space between the right and left claw bearing members 30, which make a pair, is the same as the space between right and left fork of generally used forklift trucks. The location of the claw bearing member 30 is fixed in a manner wherein the center of gravity of the loading rack is supported when the fork is inserted into the claw bearing member 30 and the loading rack is lifted up by the fork.

The claw bearing member 30 is formed from a metal plate which is bended in a shape which is a square without one side. The claw bearing member 30 is attached to a bracket fixed to a frame of a right-and-left end part of the table body 1 in a manner wherein the member is able to revolve, so that it is possible to choose the “state” from two states of the claw bearing member 30. One state is a “standing state” wherein the claw bearing member 30 is at right angle to the table body 1, and the other state is a “folded state” wherein the claw bearing member 30 is parallel to the table body 1.

An engaging member 31, which fixes the state as the claw bearing member 30 is in a folded state wherein it is parallel to the table body 1, is provided. In this embodiment, this engaging member 31 has an engaging pin 33, which is attached slidably in a certain distance to the shaft, which goes through a bracket 32 and the frame of the table body 1. The engaging member is flexibly pushed against a pin hole opened at the middle part of the claw bearing member 30 by a spring 34, and its end is engaged to the pin hole so that the folded state is kept. A finger grip part of a head part of the engaging pin is projected from a window, which is opened on the frame to the side-end-surface of the table body 1. The engagement between the engaging pin 33 and the pin hole of the claw bearing member 30 is released by pinching and pulling this finger grip part with finger chips or industrial tools against the elastic force of the spring 34, and by that the claw bearing member 30 is capable to be revolved so that the claw bearing member is in a standing state wherein it is at right angle to the flat surface of the table body 1.

Also, a holding assembly 35, which temporarily holds the standing state of the claw bearing member 30, wherein the claw bearing member is at right angle to the table body 1, is attached. In this embodiment, the holding assembly 35 comprises elastic packing between the bracket and the claw bearing member 30, and temporarily holds the state by adding certain rotating torque to the claw bearing member 30.

It should be understood that the Preferred Embodiments does not describe all of the various changes that might be made to the specific examples given in this Preferred Embodiments. Consequently, this invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in figures and is able to be changed its design arbitrarily. 

1. A loading rack comprising an oblong table body and a pair of legs attached closably to posterior and anterior side parts of said body, the loading rack further comprising: a plurality of leg holders which are attached having a predetermine lateral distance to the posterior and anterior side of the table body; a supporting hole which opens downwardly opened on each leg holder; and multiple insertion parts which are capable to be inserted into each hole attached to an upper part of each leg; wherein the leg is held and fixed in a vertically standing position by peripheral walls surrounding the supporting hole as the insertion part is inserted into the supporting hole and the table body is loaded on the leg.
 2. A loading rack as described in claim 1 wherein: a long hole which extends vertically is provided on a side wall of the peripheral walls surrounding the supporting hole; a latching pin which engages the long hole is attached on an upper end part of the insertion part of the leg; an opening is provided at a lower end part of a inside wall of the peripheral walls; and the opening allows the leg to be closed inwardly when the leg is moved along the supporting hole till the latching pin is located to a lower end of the long hole.
 3. A loading rack as described in claim 1 further comprising a column-shaped guiding part located on an upper end of the insertion part, wherein a shape of cross section of the insertion part is almost the same as the shape of cross section of the supporting hole.
 4. A loading rack as described in claim 1, wherein said leg has square pipe shaped poles which are lined up in a right-and-left row and a horizontal frame which connects poles next to each other at the vertically midway position of the poles, each upper end of pole is the insertion part which is located at the upper part of each leg, and the table body is loaded on the horizontal frame.
 5. A loading rack as described in claim 1, wherein a pin which projects upwardly is provided at middle in a lateral direction of said leg, a fitting hole is provided on the table body, and the pin is inserted in the fitting hole when the leg is in a standing position.
 6. A loading rack as described in claim 1 further comprising a claw bearing member attached to a side edge of an undersurface of the table body in which a fork of a forklift truck is inserted, wherein the claw bearing member is attached to a position in which the rack is be able to have a well-balance when the fork is inserted in the claw bearing member.
 7. A loading rack as described in claim 6, wherein the claw member is variable in either a standing state or a closed state, the standing state wherein the claw bearing member is at right angle to the table body, and the closed state wherein the claw bearing member is parallel to the table body.
 8. A loading rack as described in claim 7, further comprising an engaging member, which fixes the state, as the claw bearing member is in a closed state wherein it is parallel to the table body.
 9. A loading rack as described in claim 7, further comprising a holding assembly, which temporarily holds the standing state of the claw bearing member wherein the claw bearing member is at right angle to the table body. 